NEW YORK
A New York judge has rejected a bail request for a Hong Kong businessman charged in a United Nations-linked bribery scandal, saying he was too great a risk to flee.
Federal Judge Katherine Forrest listened to more than an hour of arguments Monday before saying no bail conditions could guarantee Dr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho would attend his trial.
The 68-year-old Ho was arrested in November. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he paid bribes on behalf of a Chinese energy conglomerate to secure business advantages.
Defense lawyer Edward Kim insisted his client would rather be convicted at trial than to have fled the country in disgrace.
The judge said she viewed the evidence as "extremely strong" and might motivate him to flee.
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